Before any child can receive treatment, he or she should first receive a comprehensive assessment by a therapist who specializes in substance abuse treatment issues to determine the most appropriate level of care that is needed. If your teenager attends a local high school, contacting a counselor at the school is a good place to start. If the counselor is unable to conduct the screening or assessment, he or she will often refer you to someone in your community who can.

The importance of this question can not be underestimated. Many treatment programs do not have stringent admissions criteria. As a result, youth who enter these programs are frequently and unnecessarily exposed to peers who introduce them to new, destructive behaviors and dangers. At ECHO, we are committed to a thorough screening process to insure that all persons accepted into the program are a good fit.

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Topics A-Z: Hepatitis (Viral) "Hepatitis A FAQ", "Hepatitis B FAQ", Hepatitis C FAQ"

Yes. If your child is in treatment, you have already exhibited the strength to seek solutions for your child. Our approach does not leave that solution solely in the hands of an out-of-home treatment program. Ideally, we begin before out-of-home treatment, continue through such treatment (if necessary), and provide post-treatment support. If your child is already in a treatment program, he or she will eventually come home.

A physician whose specialty is urology is able to treat the common urinary problems of children. Typical problems treated are urinary tract infections and bed-wetting.

There are many medical centers with teams that specialize in treating pediatric brain tumor patients. There is no one “best” doctor, but there are issues to consider that can help guide you in choosing the doctor that is best for your child. Good communication is key to a good relationship with your doctors. If you ask your questions and get them answered, the experience will be easier for you and your family. If you are not comfortable with your doctor, consider changing doctors.

Of course. Treatment is a time to strengthen family bonds with frequent, supportive, communication. Your child may call you any time he or she wishes. You may call your child any time you wish. Non-emergency calls will be held during therapeutic sessions. Family visitation is every Saturday. If you are unable to attend on Saturday and wish to make special arrangements to visit on another day, we will accommodate you.

Making a decsion about starting hepatitis C drug therapy is difficult. Here are some things to consider. Prognosis: Since most people don’t get seriously sick from hepatitis C, it doesn’t make sense for every infected person to go on treatment. It is a good idea to take test results (patterned liver enzymes and PCR, ultrasound, and liver biopsy) into consideration. If the liver is not at all damaged, treatment is generally not recommended.

Most patients will need between 6 – 12 months of a combination of an injectible medication, interferon and an oral medication, ribavirin. The cure rates are between 50 – 80%. The medications have side effects of fatigue, anemia, muscle aches and at times, depression. Most of these side effects can be managed with other medication and diet.

Yes. Laser Hair Therapy machines have been cleared by the FDA and they meet all the safety standards that are required under the law. The same type of technology has been used in Europe for over 15 years with no reported adverse side effects.

About 5% of babies born to hepatitis C infected mothers will become infected with hepatitis C themselves. There is no known way to reduce the risk. The risk increases to about 17% if the mother is also HIV infected.

This is a great question - and in the United States there are two major camps right now with very different answers. On one side are proponents of Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (usually abbreviated VBAC and pronounced vee-back). On the other are those who feel that the risks are too high and that an elective or scheduled c-section is the best option for a mother who had already undergone the procedure in the past. The risk to which they refer is uterine rupture. Both sides have studies.

Pegylated interferon and Ribavirin are the medications used to treat chronic hepatitis C infection. Treatment of hepatitis C using these medications requires careful monitoring, frequent lab tests and doctor visits. It is very important that you NEVER STOP TREATMENT without first consulting with your primary doctor, Gastroenterologist, or Hepatologist.

The Child Mental Health Treatment Act is a law that allows families to access residential treatment services for their child without having to go through the dependency and neglect process, when there is no abuse or neglect of the child.

Orthodontic treatment and a child's growth often complement each other. Here's an example: If the upper front teeth protrude, the problem is often the result of a lower jaw that's shorter than the upper jaw. While the upper and lower jaws are still growing, orthodontic appliances can be used to help the growth of the lower jaw catch up to the growth of the upper jaw.

One of the biggest problems I see with parents is that they fail to understand that addiction is a very serious disease, not a parenting issue, and needs to be addressed as such. When seeking help, Mom and Dad often find professionals who want to treat them, and act as if getting good communication between family members is the solution. It's not. That is akin to using marriage counseling to treat the family alcoholic.

Occasionally a child's behavior during treatment requires assertive management to protect him or her from possible injury. Voice control (speaking calmly but firmly) usually takes care of it. Some children need gentle restraint of the arms or legs as well. Mild sedation, such as nitrous oxide/oxygen or a sedative, may benefit an anxious child. If a child is especially fearful or requires extensive treatment, other sedative techniques or general anesthesia may be recommended.

If your child's stomach pain or discomfort symptoms sound similar to those of heartburn, acid indigestion, and sour stomach, then you may want to use an over-the-counter acid relief product such as Children's MYLANTA® chewable tablets. This safe, gentle, and effective remedy is specially formulated for children. It contains only certain ingredients, like calcium carbonate, which has calcium, an ingredient growing children need.

Yes. Our program provides individualized and group classes for school-aged patients in our Acute, Residential and Partial Hospitalization treatment programs. Our teachers, instructors and aides work in conjunction with your child's home school or school district to keep up with the curriculum and homework assignments necessary for a smooth transition to and from Kahi Mohala.

When you and your doctor have reached the decision that treatment would be beneficial, it is a good idea to begin the treatment as soon as possible. Research has shown that treatment is more successful if people are treated at an earlier age and before their liver disease becomes more serious

Like most medications, treatment for hepatitis C can cause side effects. There is no way of telling how you will react to treatment until you start. Feeling like you have the flu (headache, fever, chills and muscle/joint pain) is the most common side effect and typically this is worst in first 48 hours that follow your weekly injection of pegylated interferon. Some people also experience depression, feeling tired or nauseous.

Yes, there are appliances available which are nickel-free. Please be sure to let us know of any allergies your child has.

C# is a new language designed by Microsoft to work with the .NET framework. In their "Introduction to C#" whitepaper, Microsoft describe C# as follows: C# is a simple, modern, object oriented, and type-safe programming language derived from C and C++. C# (pronounced "C sharp") is firmly planted in the C and C++ family tree of languages, and will immediately be familiar to C and C++ programmers. C# aims to combine the high productivity of Visual Basic and the raw power of C++.

If residential treatment services are denied, the mental health agency will provide written recommendations of appropriate services for the child and family. The family will need to make decisions and explore resources to pay for these services. The mental health agency will also inform the parent/guardian about the appeal process. If the local appeal supports the denial, the parent/guardian may appeal to the Division of Mental Health.

We regret that we are unable to comment on individual cases and we cannot enter into correspondence with patients (or their relatives). These matters are best dealt with by properly qualified professionals who are familiar with all the circumstances surrounding the case. Whereas the BNFC tries to give the best possible advice on treatment, there are sometimes special circumstances when the doctor may want to deviate from this advice.

After a thorough evaluation, your clinician or doctor (or both) will decide the level of treatment your child needs, and they will discuss the options with you. Inpatient or outpatient treatment could entail individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, medication management or any combination thereof. For services not offered within the department, we will give you a list of recommended treatment sites for you to explore.

There are different stages of treatment, the immediate phase, the continuation phase, and the maintenance phase. The immediate phase seeks to minimize the symptoms of depression. The continuation phase is to help prevent future episodes, and the maintenance phase is used if you have had a previous episode. Maintenance therapy usually lasts six months after symptoms have ceased. Treatment of the first episode may last 6 to twelve months.

When a child is first discovered to have evidence of head lice, the child will be excluded from school. A student may return to school after treatment with a lice killing product and the nits have been removed. The school nurse must check the student before going back into the classroom. The child may return to school unless a substantial amount of nits remain in the hair. A follow-up treatment may be needed seven to ten days after the first treatment.